


Young love

by Enide_Dear



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Dorky teenagers in love, M/M, can't say i blame him, gladios flirting technics just confuses ignis, good thing cor is around to have some common sense, i love young gladio being utterly miserable at flirting, like so very awkward, or at least in lust, so this is awkward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2018-12-02 12:02:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11509032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enide_Dear/pseuds/Enide_Dear
Summary: Gladio is falling head over heels for Noctis new advisor, but his usual way of flirting is getting him nowhere. Perhaps Cor can help sort up the messy tangle of their lives.





	1. Chapter 1

Leaning against the balustrade several stories up in the regal castle, Gladio tried not to count the minutes. His kept his arms crossed over his chest in a way that made his just a little too tight t shirt strain over his biceps and accenturate the pectoralis cleft and the position he was in made his shoulders seem even broader. 

It was uncomfortable as Hell and the fact that he had been standing like that for close to an hour didn't help. But it would all be worth it as soon as Noct's new advisor happened by.

The thought of the serious young man with those lovely eyes and sharp brain and tight ass made sweet heat coil in Gladio's belly, somewhat counteracting the ache in his shoulders. Oh yes, it would all be worth it once Ignis saw him here, when he fell in love with the absolute perfect physical speciment that was the prince's Shield, because how could he not, when he saw Gladio like this, every strong muscle on perfect display? The sight of his well-toned body and awesome tattoo - well, almost complete tattoo - had been enough to make both panties and underwear drop several times before in Gladio's soon-to-be 18 years old experience. Doubltlessly it would be the same this time. 

He flexed a little, moved an inch to the right so that the afternoon sun hit his tanned neck just so, and tried to keep his patience. The prince and Ignis had to come here soon, it was just on the way to their lecture, and then Ignis would fall helplessly in love with him and Gladio could wisk him away to his bed and all the wonderful dirty things he had imagined....

"What the Hell are you doing?" A confused but amused voice far to close made Gladio jump; he looked down on the frowning face of Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum. "You look like a first class douchebag."

"Beat it squirt," growling Gladio tried keep the blush from spreading from his neck to his face. Douchebag? What did the kid know about these things anyway? Noct rolled his eyes and started to amble off, but Gladio stopped him. "Wait, were's your teacher?"

Noct's shrug seemed to indicate that teachers came and went and such was the way of life and the universe and the Astrals, and what could he, a mere prince of the blood, do about that? Or maybe it just indicated that he couldn't care less and was off to the kitchen to beg a treat before dinner.

"Damn it!" Rubbing his aching shoulders to try to get the blood running in them, Gladio quickly threw on his jacket - the wind was cold up here - and was about to stomp of to the training facility to try to work out some of his frustration when he heard the soft, neat click of expensive calf leather shoes. 

In less than a second, Gladio had shrugged of the jacked once more and struck a pose that made the sun gild the line from his hip to his outstretched arm, accenturating every ab in a play of dark shadown and golden light. 

Noctis stared at him as if he was a complete and utter idiot. 

 

Ignis had noticed Gladio. Oh, it was difficult not to notice him, with the way the Shield seemed to show up at the most odd locations and odd times, not to mention odd positions, usually shirtless, his body inexplicatley oiled for no reason that Ignis could see. 

So far the Shield had been found stretched out in a window nische, supposedly reading although the position he had been in - long strong legs stretched out, book held in such a way that it might have been a drumbell for the way it made his bicep pop, chest shining and smelling faintly of coconut - made it impossible to try to discern what kind of book he was actually reading. Also he seemed to be holding it upside down. 

And then there was the time he had been lingering outisde Ignis rooms, supposedly trying to put something heavy on top of a cabinet, his back a wonder of massive muscles and unfinished tattoo, the line of his body as he stretched enticing the wathcers eyes down towards a splendid muscles butt and those lines along his sides that just seemed to scream for touch.   
Ignis had quickly stammered something and hurried away, before he could even think of asking why the prince's Shield was doing menial servant work and what, exactly, had to be stored on top of a cabinet. 

Everywhere he went, in fact, he seemed to run into the inexplainable shirtless wonder that was Gladioulous Amicitia, and it was doing his teachings no favours. So far his hormonial teenage urges had been kept in check enough that neither Noctis nor - Astrals forbid - King Regis had notices, but really this was getting ridicolous.

And now. And now. And now this. Running down his missing protogeé just to run straigh into the moving wall of warm, strong, beautiful and depsite the cold wind shirtless wonder that was Gladio was almost too much. And why was he standing like that? It looked pateintly uncomfortable and still Ignis could not tear his eyes away. Almost all of the tattoo was finished now, the skin still a bit puffed and red around the lower edges of the eagels tail, a small part of Ignis brain supplied while a much larger part of his brain supplied fatasies of oh to run his tongue over that soft skin and bury his face against the muscled back and....

"Greetings, Mr Amicitia." He heard himself say, as cold and stiff as ever. "I see you have located the missing prince. Thank you. We will take our leave now." He put a hand on Noctis shoulder and quickly pushed him away. 

 

Gladio couldn't understand it. He had been displaying himself frequently and painfully for weeks and yet nothing. Oh there was the occational blush or stammer from Ignis, a few flustered seconds that made it all worth while but still, nothing. Ignis had not thrown himself over him, asking to be ravished in a manly fashion. Ignis had not swoned into his strong arms and asked to be kissed in a manly fashion. Ignis had in fact not asked Gladio to do anything at all to him in a manly fashion and damn it, the man wore glasses but he wasn't blind. Couldn't he see what a wonder of manliness Gladio was?

Truth to be told though it might be a bit more difficult for him to see it now than it had been a few days before, because King regis himself had grabbed Gladio one fine morning just as he'd been contemplating his exact position under the huge windows that let in morning light in a way that would make his hip lines shine out like a beacon, and told him in no unceratin terms that he paid his son's Shield enough to keep him in shirts and t shirts and that he was a distraction and potential work hazard to the castles employees.

The Crownguards had been snickering, Gladio thought in a sulk, but not before they made sure to get themselves an appreciative eyefull of his torso. 

So what could he do? How could they all deprive Ignis of the sight of him like this? It wasn't fair. He needed to show off his best side to have a chance with someone as perfect as Ignis, damn it. Ignis deserved perfection. He deserved to see the Shield shirtless, or preferably naked, and preferably naked himself, naked while sweating and panting and moaning and...

A rough hand landed onhis shoulder and startled Gladio from his dirty daydreams. He looked up a bit guiltily into the hard, unreadable face of Cor the Immortal who looked down on him and just said: 

"We need to talk." 

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know you need to get your head out of your ass if Noctis is more perceptive about your relationship than you are.

"So," having dragged the younger man into an empty conference room and pushed him into a chair, Cor stared down at him. "Are you going to cease this nonsense, or do i have to get you down to the sparring field and beat some sense into you?"

Well, that could have been worse, Gladio concidered. Cor could have sat down on a chair backwards and wanted to be relatable. He supressed a shudder at the thought. 

"What the Hell are you talking about?" he growled, stalling for time because frankly Cor was a bit scary. Old, but still scary. 

"Don't give me that bullshit. You know what I'm talking about. You and your miserable attempts at romance on the Scienta boy." Cor glared at him and Gladio bristled a little. 

"Hey, that is none of your business! And anyway it's going fine! I made him blush twice just last week!" 

Cor closed his eyes and looked like he was counting to ten in his mind. His hands twitched.

"Are you going to say you are too old for this shit?" Gladio said hopefully.

"No, but *you* are too old for this shit! Even Noctis is too old for your shit and he's fourteen!" Leaning down over the prince's shield, Cor stared straight at him with the gaze of a man who'd seen far too many bad romances up close and personal. "You will stop preening around like a chocobo during mating season and start talking to him. Like. A. Normal. Fucking. Person." Each of the five last words were punctuated by a sharp jab to Gladio's sternum. Ouch, damn it.

"Look," Gladio tried to push Cor out of the way and get up. He might as well have tried moving a boulder with his bare hands. "Look, Ignis is perfect. And he deserves perfection, not words. And I can give him that! but not if you people insists on me wearing clothes all the time...."

Cor's face became ths slightly ill green colour of a person who just realized he'd stumbled upon a plot of 'laying naked in his crush's bed waiting for him' which would undoubtly have ended with prince Noctis's Shield loosing his balls to a pair of very sharp daggers. He gave that possiblility a passing thought, but decided against it, with some reluctance. 

"Look, you are a big boy. Use your words. Talk. To. Scienta." Cor finally stepped back from the chair. "And you can concider that an order."

"What, from you?" A bit pissed off, Gladio glared back. 

"No. From his Royal Highness Prince Noctis, who is just as tired of all this UST as the rest of us."

Words. Words! What a dumb notion! Grumbling to himself as he tried to scrape together a few scraps of dignity, Gladio stomped down the corridors. It wasn't that he couldn't talk to people and he did read a lot of books and took care of his sister and a lot of things that people didn't expect a person who looked like him did. It was just that.....something about Ignis just tied he tongue. Well, not really, he could imagine doing quite a few things to Scienta with his tongue, but *talking*? That was....scary. Ignis was clever. He doubtlessly surronunded himself with other clever people which meant that Gladio would come out looking like a moron no matter what he said. 

Not that he could remember seeing Ignis with anyone else than administrative personel or Noctis, truth to be told. And as amazing as the prince undoubtly was, his ideas of intelligent conversation was limited to disecting every aspect of computer game character developments. 

There was a sound down the corridor and Gladio's skin suddenly burst out into goosebumps - he knew that sound, the twin sound of neat soft leather shoes and the scuffing of royal sneakers.

He had time to turn around, in search for the perfect light in which to strike a pose when he caught a motion at the very edge of the other end of the corridor. Cor. Shit! There were no way the marshall would let him get away with posing again. Desperatley wracking his brain for something intelligent to say, Gladio felt eyes upon him as the prince and advisor approached. 

"Hey, Scienta." He managed a half hearted salute to Noctis who just waved it away - you could say a lot about the prince but he didn't care for grovelling - and a wobbly smile to the green eyed beauty next to him who actually quirked his lips back. Gladio's blood felt full of champagne bubbles. "Nice shirt."

"Thank you, Gladioulous," Ignis inclined his head a little and was that a blush on his cheeks?

"Yeah, did you get it at Nerd-Are-Us?" Yes, that was it. He said something insulting but funny about Ignis appearance, Ignis did the same back at him, and then they would be laughing togehter and the ice would be broken and....

But Ignis didnt' say anything back. the smile on his face froze and fell and he rose his head, pointedly not looking at Gladio again while dragging his slack jawed student along. 

From across the corridor, the sound of Cor smacking his face echoed.

 

"I don't know what the man wants," Ignis muttered to himself, too distracted to keep his focus on the rapports in front of him. He could figure out the Niefelheim troop movements anytime. He couldn't figure out Gladiolous Amicitia if he had two life times and a road map to help him. He was just always *there*, amber eyes following him like a kicked puppy, looking spectacular but acting like a bloody moron. It was...distracting.

Noctis shrugged, chewing his pen as he pretended to read his homework. 

"I suppose he wants to throw you down and shag you rotten," he said with all the wordly wisdom of a fourteen year old.

Ignis choked on his Ebony.

"Highness! Language!" He managed to sputter, hoping that Noct would interpret the blush on his face as being prudish about the words. 

Noctis rolled his eyes. 

"Alright then, I suppose he want's to 'make rough handed and passionate love' to you. Is that better?"

Ignis could just stare, teenage hormones raging a quiet but intense battle with cold analytic brain. The brain claimed a temporary victory. 

"I do trust you have not been reading my personal diary, or I would have to tell his Majesty the King about the ilicit sexting going between his son and a commoner, including nude pictures that the scandal magazines would love to get their grubby hands on."

Noctis blush was so deep it was almost purple. 

"Are you reading my personal texts?!"

"And this is what we call a Duscaen Standoff. You will not reveal my secrets and I will not reveal yours." A bit pleased to have gotten this piece of strategic advide lodged in the prince's brain by the power of trauma, Ignis nodded.

"At least *I* have some dirty secrets. Not just fantasies." Noct muttered to himself as he looked back on his homework and Ignis felt his smugness fall. Noct was right. All he had was fantasies. Fantasies about someone whos motives he couldn't for the life of his figure out. Someone so complex it kept even his brilliant mind spinning. Someone with such depths and unknown agendas as to baffle. Someone who looked truly delicous in tight leahter. Someone who...

"Not like you and Gladio who are behaving like little kids pulling each other's pigtails to get attention."

....who was doing exactly that, damn it.


	3. Chapter 3

A knock on the door made them both look up, Noctis in hope of a diversion and Ignis in exasperation of the same. 

Ignis opened the door, only to be hit in the chest by the equivalent of a battering ram made of roses, wielded by a fiercely blushing young Shield-to-be. Utterly confused and at a loss of words, Ignis stared at Gladio who was staring back, just as tongue-tied.  
The awkward moment was cut short by the very soft and very distinct sound of a katana being loosened a fraction from its sheet. Gladio turned slightly pale and took a deep breath.

“Um. Yes. Hi. Good evening. I just wanted you to know that I think you are really, really great and um. Hot. And, and, and I have a reservation for two at the. Eleven Insomnia Park. You know. The fancy-ass restaurant. I mean. Really nice restaurant. If you would want. To go with me? Um. Tonight. Fancy restaurant.” There was an almost pleading look in the amber eyes. 

Even for Ignis brilliant mind it took a few seconds to sort out the erratic punctuation and turn the babbling into some sort of coherent sentences. Then he adjusted his glasses and accepted the roses. Cool green eyes fixed amber ones as he took a few step forwards, pinning Gladio between himself and the wall. 

“I will pick you up at seven. I will drive. You will not be wearing a tracksuit, nor anything made by leather. You asked me out, so you are paying. I expect you on your best behavior. And if this is some kind of joke, I will personally cut your liver out and serve it with fava beans and a nice chianti.” The glasses flashed in the soft hallway light. “Any questions?”  
Swallowing hard, Gladio nodded feverently.  
“Just, uh, one. Would this be a bad time to get turned on?”  
Ignis’ smile was faintly feral.  
“No. I will see you later then.”  
When he closed the door on the flustered Shield, Ignis came face to face with the huge, smug grin of Insomnias next ruler who was tapping ferociously on his phone.  
“Man, you let him off easy. Could have told him to wear lace lingerie or a thong and he would have done it for you.” Noctis grinned, sitting precautious on the edge of his seat.  
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ignis answered with a dryness he hoped covered up his real emotions at that particular suggestion. “Now, do you care to tell me how a teenage boy managed to get reservations at Insomnias finest restaurant which has a two year waiting list?”  
“Maybe he showed up there shirtless when he asked them?” Noct had all but perfected the innocent look but Ignis wasn’t fooled.  
“Maybe the prince of Lucis had something to do with it?” he said, crossing his arms.  
“If he did,” rather cheekily, Noctis jumped from his perch and stretched, “I bet he would want the afternoon off as a reward. I mean, you gotta prepare anyway, right? Shower, iron your clothes, polish your shoes, apply liberal amounts of lube, what do I know?”  
Ignis sighed and buried his face in his hands.  
“We need to get you off the internet, highness.”

 

Gladio was ready and waiting outside his apartment complex when Ignis drove up, dressed in a suit that fitted him excellently and in which he didn’t look too uncomfortable, and if he had deliberately chosen to wait just under a strategic lamppost so that he could lean casually on it and at the same time get decent lighting on his shoulders and neck, well, Ignis wasn’t one to complain. But once they got into the car, the Shield was obviously grumpy. Ignis let silence fill the car until it got uncomfortable enough for Gladio to blurt out:  
“Look, I’m sorry. For, you know, this.” He waved half-disgusted at his upper body.  
“For your….body?” Ignis said, confusion cracking his cold demeanor for a second.  
“For the *clothes*. I meant what I said before. You deserve the best and I can’t give you the best of me if I have to keep my shirt on.” Gladio stared out at the Insomnina streets.  
“What about your mind?” Ignis carefully kept driving.  
Gladio snorted.  
“No one is interested in my *mind*, just my body.”  
Ignis frowned.  
“I recall overhearing you having quite a few intense discussions with your little sister, at several occasions. Last time I think you were talking about Juliette Orandos ‘The art of war and peace’. Quite a heavy piece of reading.”  
Gladio looked up in panic, as if he’d been caught red handed doing something illegal to a small barnyard animal.  
“That’s….okay, but that’s Iris! She doesn’t count!”  
“And the royal librarian tells me you have a preference for history and philosophy.”  
“You have been…spying on me?” The young shield looked seriously upset.  
“Weren’t you the one who learned my schedule just so you could stand around posing in doorways?”  
There was a moment of silence before Gladio conceded.  
“Yeah, alright. And anyway, Iris and I were talking about Yvette Drains ‘The Treaty of Lestallum.” I read Orandos when I was twelve. It is pretty interesting, but it lacks true insight in how a society reacts to swift changes in its political and sociologic fundaments.”  
“Oh? Please expand.”  
The conversation went smashing from that on. 

 

In the restaurant, they were shown to some truly good places. It seemed that when properly motivated, the prince and his shield were capable of heroic feats. The food was of course spectacular, and once he’d gotten over his initial reluctance to talk about himself and his interests, Gladio made for attentive and interesting company. The Shield relaxed more and more but Ignis felt himself stiffen more and more. This was going so well – too well. Gladio was talking and listening and was obviously crushing pretty hard on him, and Ignis couldn’t deny that the feeling was mutual.  
And that made him almost panic.  
Part of him had wanted Gladio to be nothing but a dumb brute – handsome, of course, outrageously attractive even – but still easy to brush off. He hadn’t really expected himself to be so fascinated with the man and deep inside he was in almost panic over this fact. On the outside he kept up appreanaces as best as he could, even though he couldn’t help but squirm when he felt Gladio’s eyes on him. If his dignity had allowed it he would have slouched down under the table as far as he could get.  
Dinner ended far too quickly and Gladio once more showed an unexpectedly observant and tender side of himself when they picked up their jackets.  
“Hey, are you ok?” He frowned at the keys jingling slightly in Ignis’ hand. “You are shaking. Are you cold?” He put his jacket over Ignis’ shoulders and suddenly the advisor was engulfed in the warm scent of him. He looked up to see if this was some kind of trick to flirt with him, but Glaido’s eyes showed genuine concern.  
“Just…too much coffee, I suppose.” He couldn’t very well say he was terrified. Underneath that terror lay years of simmering, repressed feelings, but he dared not investigate them further.  
“Let me drive, alright? I’ll get you home, safe and sound.”  
It was such a Shield thing to say and it made Ignis shiver a little inside. But he just nodded.  
The car ride back was quiet, this time on account of Ignis. Gladio gave him a few concerned looks and finally broke the silence.  
“Well, thanks. I had a really good time. Even though I had my clothes on,” he added probably as a quip, but Ignis couldn’t help but shrink back a little. Realization dawned on Gladio. “Oh. Oh, look, I’m not expecting anything to happen, tonight. Or anytime, I mean if you didn’t have a good time with me…”  
“I did have a good time.” Ignis voice sounded small, even to himself. “A very good time. I would very much like to go out with you again. But I….” He closed his eyes, then opened them again as Gladio parked the car. Very intense green eyes met concerned amber ones. “Look, I might as well get it out there. I had a very good time today, with you. I enjoyed talking to you very much. But I’m not….” He took a deep breath. “I am not like you. If we continue this….dating…sooner or later you are going to find out. I am not gorgeous like you are. I’m not handsome. I am simply a bookish nerd and when you see me – if you ever see me - undressed, you will get so disappointed. I realize I am nothing like the people you usually train with. I am not attractive, like that. All I have is my brain.”  
“Wait, wait….”Gladio looked shocked. “Are you telling me you think you are ugly?!”  
Ignis laughed, a bit bitter.  
“No one wants me for my *body*, just my mind.”  
Gladio stared. Then he leaned forward, very slowly, and kissed him.  
Ignis almost panicked, but Gladio didn’t push it. The kiss was soft, gentle and he had plenty of space to back off if he wanted to. He didn’t want to withdraw, though, but for the life of him he couldn’t understand why Gladio wanted this – with him.  
“I have seen you in the training rooms,” Gladio mumbled in his ear, his breath soft and warm. “Trust me, you have nothing to be ashamed for.”  
“Yes, but…”  
“Butt to, yeah. It’s very nice.” He smiled, caressing down Ignis cheek. “Seems to me you need to learn to take more pride and joy in your body.”  
“Well, it seems to *me* like you need to learn to take more pride and joy in your mind!” Ignis couldn’t help but chuckle back. He leaned forward into another kiss, just as soft. “Perhaps in time we will both learn.”

The End


End file.
